Electric gas-lighting apparatus



- (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. B. BOSWORTI-L ELECTRIC GAS LIGHTING APPARATUS.

Patented Dec. 20, 1887.

w ffimssc M lmmw A jwid /y Q (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. U. B.BOSWORTH. ELECTRIC GAS LIGHTING APPARATUS.

No. 375,118 Patented Dec. 20, 1887.

\ .mlncsses. In'vtnio'r.

'. v Mam UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. BOSWORTH, OF EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRICGAS LIGHTING COMPANY, OF MAINE.

ELECTRIC GAS-LIGHTlNG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.375,1 18, dated December20, 1887.

Application filed January 19, 1887. Serial No. 324.740. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1,. CHARLES B. BOSWORTH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Everett, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric Gas-Lighting Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification. This invention relates to automatic electric gas-lightingapparatus in' which a current of electricity in passing over a singlecircuit effectuates' three things: the opening of the gascock, thevibration of the movable electrode, andthe producing of a primaryigniting-spark, as illustrated in Letters Patent of the United StatesNos. 130, 7 7 0, 184,807 ,and 206,057 to J. P. Tirrell and Reissue No.9,743 of No. 180,770 to an assignee of the saidTirrell.

This invention consists in improvements in the form, construction, andarrangement of the elements of such burners, particularly in 'thegas-cock, circuit-changing devices, cam

and ratchet wheels, and the manner of combining these with the otherelements of the burner.

Before defining my invention more fully I Wish to explain, by referenceto the drawings, the mode of operation of a burner containing the same,and. in these drawings similar letters refer to similar parts.

Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 are side views ofan entire burner containing saidimprovements in four several positions. Figs. 5 and 6 are both views ofthe gascoolr, spindle, and camwheel. Fig.7 is aview of amodified form ofthe circuit'shifting devices in which the nonconductor cam-wheel .is onthe outside of the ratchet-wheel and the circuit-connectionscorrespondingly arranged. The gas cock used with Fig. 7 is constructedwith but one way through it, and thenon-conductor cam-wheel isproportioned accordingly. The difference be tween this and the otherarrangement of cam and spring will more clearly appear in de scribingtheir several modes of operation.

Fig. 8, in which ratchet-wheel L is supposed to be removed, shows thenon-conducting camwheel, its conducting tire or rim, with cam 8, and thecircuitsprings 2, 3, and 4. Fig. 9 is a front View of the brass button,which may, however, be made in any of the well-known forms of thatdevice. In the form shown the knobs X Y are supported by stiff springsrunning from the metallic center screw, Z. Fig. l 10 is a side view ofthe same form of pushbutton, and by following the circuit-connectionsfrom the battery 15 the admission of the current to the burner will bereadily understood, as follows: The ground-wire 14 runs' from battery 15to the burner, or otherwise to ground. The wire 16 runs from the battery15, through the ordinary spark'coil 17, to the screw Z in thepress-button. the current to the lighting-circuit, X is pressedagainstX, when the current passes by the connection thus made to wire 5,and its subsequent operation is described hereinafter. To admit thecurrent to the extinguishing-oircuit, Y is pressed against Y, when thecurrent passes by the connection thus made to wire 1, 0

and its subsequent operationis described hereinafter.

In the drawings, A represents the pillar or tube of the gas-burner,having a lower platform, B, and an upper platform, 0. The 7 lowerplatform holds the magnet and the support or. base of thecircuit-shifting and gascoclr mechanism. The armature is pivoted to theburner and has a leverarm, as shown 'in Fig. 2, to which is to beattached a looped 8o pawl. This looped pawl is kept in place by anopening in the platform B, through which the loop is seen projecting at1?. The free end fits into the ratchets of thewheel L. This wheel L isrigidly attached to the spindle J 8 of the gas-cock, and with thatspindle is held in place by the spring 0, adjustably attached to theblock M by means of the screw N. This arrangement secures a perfect fit,combined with sufficient elasticity to result in accurate 9o its contactwith the fixed electrode by means of screw 10, and its constancy ofpressure against fixed electrode G is regulated by the helical spring11, which surrounds the breakerrod. The shoulder S directly below thearmature enables the movement of the armature to control the downwardmovement of the circuit'breakerywhich, instead of moving up from To leton or laterally away from, moves down from the fixed electrode in orderto cause the spark which follows the interruption of the circuit. Theposition of the armature in relation both to the circuit-breaker and tothe spring-pawl for moving the ratchet-wheel is regulated by the springR, whose tension is controlled by the screw 12, to which it is attached,and by adjusting-pin I. The spindle J, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, iscone-shaped for about onethird of its distance, and has one side cutaway for the purpose of allowing the gas to escape during three-fourthsof a revolution, in order that the length of time during which thesparks are made may be sufficient to insure ignition of the gas. Thecamwheel is made of a non-conductor,preferably vulcanized fiber or hardrubber, with a tire or circle fixed to it of any suitable conductingmaterial for the purpose of constituting a part of the electric circuit,as shown in Fig. 2, and has one cam, as shown at 8 in Figs. 2 and 5, cutin said rim or tire, but not in the noncondnetonso that when the springs2 or 4 fall into this cam they rest upon the non-conductor, and so breakthe electric circuit. It will be noticed by examining Fig. 2' that thecam-wheel'K is next to the burner and the ratchet-wheel outside, with aspace between the two sufficient for full play of the spring 4, as shownin Fig. 3.

The arrangement which has been thus far described may be modified inseveral particulars without departing from the invention herein setforthe. 9., it is. very evident that, although in the drawings theinsulated fixed electrode is shown to be connected with the wire 7 nearthe tip of the burner, it would be easy to insulate an arm in the upperplatform to extend down through the same and connect with a wire fromthe magnet and connect with the movable electrode at the burner-tip. Inthis case the rim H and the usual insulation would be unnecessary. It isalso evident that the adjustable pin I, for the purpose of fixing theproper normal distance of the armature from the top of the magnet, mightbe dispensed with. These alterations are so evident that they have notbeen shown in the drawings. I desire, however, to show a difierentarrangement for the cam-wheel, which cannot be well understood withoutthe drawings, and Fig. 7 will illustrate this variation in the form withthe following explanation:

The gas-cock spindle has a circular gasway instead of that shown inFigs. 5 and 6. The lever-arm of the armature is somewhat shorter, sincethe ratchet-wheel L comes next to the burner-pillar and has a cam-wheel,K, without a metal tire outside of it. When in place, the flat spring 0would bear against the little project-ion 13 as in Fig. 4 it bearsagainst 13. This cam-wheel is rigidly attached to the metal gas-cockspindle, and is made in the form shown in Fig. 7, so that the electriccircuit will be made or broken, either in turning on or turning off thegas, in one-half a revolution. As shown in Fig. 7, the gas has beenturned on and lighted, and in order to turn it off the magnet must beenergized by admitting the current from the battery over wire 6 tospring 5, to spring 4', to wire 7, which leads to the magnet. As thewheel revolves it is evident that the wire 4 will fall into the cam andrupture the circuit between 5and 4. By this time the wire 3 will havebeen put in connection with the wire 2 by pressure of the cam-wheel, andwhen it is desired to turn on the gas the current is admitted andfollows the circuit-wire 1, flat spring 2, fiat spring 3, wire 7 to themagnet. As soon as the ratchetwheel has sutfieiently revolved to allowflat spring 2 to separate from spring 8, this circuit will be ruptured,and at the same time the connection between the flat springs 4 and 5will be restored, as shown in Fig. 7.

I will now explain the operation of the apparatus. Assuming theconstruction to be that shown in all the drawings, excepting Fig. 7, acurrent of electricity is admitted, as usual, by the press-button overwire 1 and flat spring 2. This flat spring rests against the conductingtire or rim encircling the cam-wheel K and projecting beyond the.non-conducting portion of the wheel, except at the cam 8. Thence thecurrent passes by this conducting-rim to flat spring 3, thence to wire6, connecting with the magnet, and to the magnet D ,which, beingenergized, attracts the armature E, pivoted to the burner at 9. Atwofold result ensues: First, the fiat spring P, attached by a screw tothe lever-arm of the armature and looped, as shown in Fig. 4, so as tofit into the ratchet wheel L,eauses the ratchet-wheel to turn. Thesecond result is that the circuit-breaker F is, by the downward actionof the armature upon the shoulder S, separated from the fixed tip orelectrode G, thereby interrupting the circuit, de-energizing the magnet,and allowing the armature to be returned to its previous position by theaction of the helical spring R. The circuit being thus reestablished,this twofold operation is again repeated, causing the partial revolutionof ratchet-wheel Land ca1nwheel K until the spring 2 drops into the cam8, ceases to press against the conducting-rim, and comes in coutactwiththe non-condueting portion of the cam-wheel. This interrupts the circuitand the magnet becomes permanently de-energized. In this revolution ofthe two wheels the gas cock has been completely opened. The form of thegas-cock is such that athree-quarter revolution of the spindle andwheels is made before spring 2 falls into the cam 8, during which time aconstant succession of sparks has been made by the repeated interruptionof the contact between F and G, and the result has been to turn the gason and leave it lighted. To turn the gas off," the operation is asfollows: A push of the proper press-button admits the current over wire5 to spring 4, the conductingrim of the cam-wheel K, the fiat spring 3,the wire 6, and so to the magnet, as before. The magnet again attractsthe armature, causing the vibrations ICO which synchronously turn theratchet-wheel and rupture the circuit at the burner-tip, as before,until in course of revolution the head of the spring 4 falls intothecam-wheel at 8, whereby this circuit is interrupted and the vibrationsof the armature, cease. \Vhen these vibrations cease, the gas has beenshut off by the solid part of the spindle coming over the gasway. Tolight the gas,:the operation above detailed may then be repeated.

It is unnecessary to further explain the entire operation when thegas-cock, cam-wheel, and circuit-connection of Fig. 7 are substitutedfor the form shown in the drawings of the completed burner, since theoperation and arrangement of the alternative. form will be readilyunderstood.

I do not limit myself to flat circuit-springs.

. For the cam-wheel any non-conductor may be used.

Having thus described the forms of constrnction of the apparatus as awhole and in its details and shown the functions of the parts so far asnecessary, I wish to disclaim as my invention the method of operatingsuch apparatus by a single circuit and the broad invention of thecombination of a ratchetwheel and cam-wheel with a gas-cock andcircuit-shifting devices, the same having been known and used in suchapparatus as shown in Letters Patent hereinbefore referred to;

but

\Vhat I do claim as my invention is- 1. In an automatic electricgasburner, the

"combination of the spindle J, having a three quarter gasway, with anon-conducting camwheel, K, having 'a conducting circle or tire, and acam, 8, in said tire ofabout one-fourth its circumference, and with aratchet-wheel, L, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In an automatic electric gas-burner, the means of holding thegas-cock, spindle, and ratchetwheel in place by adjustable pressure toprevent leaking and to counteract the effects of wear and tear,consisting in the block M, ad-

justing-screw N, and spring 0, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

3. In an automatic electric gas-burner, the combination of the spindleJ, non-conducting cam-wheel K, having a conducting tire or rim, andratchet-wheel L with the block M, adj usting screw N, and spring 0,substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. Incombination with the spindle J, nonconducting cam-wheel K, having aconducting tire on rim, ratchet-wheel L, block M, adjusting-screw N, andspring 0, the springs 2, 3, and 4, supported upon the base of anautomatic electric gas-burner and connected with the battery-wires, andso arranged in relation to the cam-wheel K as to control the passage ofan electric current in proportion or due relation to the gasway in thespindle 'J, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. In combination with the gas-cock and spindle J, having athree-quarter gasway, and the non-conducting cam-wheel K, having aconducting tire or rim with one cam of about one-fourth itscircumference, and the ratchetwheel L, and the connecting-springs 2, 3,and 4, electrically connected with the wiresl and 5 and 6, and the blockM, screw N, and spring 0, all arranged upon the lower base of anautomatic electric gas-burner, the magnet D, having its armature Epivoted or properly affixed tothe pillar of the gas-burner, and alsohaving a lever-arm with a looped spring-pawl, 1?, attached thereto andheld at its loop in the lower base of said burner at P, a circuitbreaker adjustable by the screw 10, controlled by a helical spring, 11,and arranged to be carried down and away from normal contact a with afixed electrode, G, at the burner-tip by the downward stroke of thearmature upon the shoulder S, a fixed electrode, G, insulated from thetube of the burner and electrically connected with said magnet, a spiralspring, R, and adj usting-pin, all combined and arranged and operatingsubstantially as and for the purposes described.

6. In combination with a gas-cock and spindle having a gasway, and acam-wheel of nonconducting material having a tire or rim of metal orother electric conductor containing a cam proportional to the gasway,and a ratchetwheel, and connecting circuit'springs electricallyconnected with the battery-wires, and an v adjustable pressure devicefor holding thespindle in place, all arranged upon the base of anautomatic electric gas-burner, a magnet, a lever-armature looselypivoted to the pillar of the burner, a looped springpawl attached to IOOsaid lever-armature and held at its loop in a notch in the lowerplatform, a circuit-breaker having two shoulders above and below thearmature, an adj usting-screw controlling the circuitbreaker below thelower platform, a helical spring about the circuit-breaker and normallyholding its lower shoulder against the armature, a fixed electrode atthe burner-tip, insulated from the burner, and electrically connectedwith the battery, and a spiral spring for securing the position of thearmature as to both the circuit-breaker and the spi'ingpawl, allcombined and arranged and operating substantially as described.

7. The combination, in an automatic electric gas-lighting burner, of agas-cock, a spindle, a ratchet-wheel, a non-conducting wheel having aconducting-rim with a cam therein, an armature with an arm and pawl, amagnet to be energized by a current whose periodicity through saidmagnet is controllable by the camwheel attached to said spindle, andcircuitshifting springs connected with the battery and theconducting-rim and arranged to interrupt the current periodically" byfalling into the cam, and movable and fixed electrodes in normalcontact, and the movable electrode controllable by the armature,substantially as and for the purposes described.

8. In combination with a gas-burner having an upper and lower platform,and a gas-tube, gascock, and spindle connected therewith, a

magnet, an armature, a lever, a pawl looped in a notch in the lowerplatform so as to play into a ratchet-Wheel, a ratchet-wheel firmlyattached to the spindle of the gascock, a non-conducting cam-wheelhaving a conducting-tire with the cam therein, said tire constitutingpart of the electric circuit, metal circuit-springs connecting with thewires from the battery and so arranged as to be in alternate and propercontact with said metal tire, a circuit-breaker having one shoulderabove and one below the armature, and also an adjusting-screw below thelower platform, a helical spring surrounding the circuit-breaker, and

a fixed electrode insulated from the burner and connected with saidbattery, all so combined and arranged that when the gas has beencompletely turned on by the revolution of said spindle and ignited bythe repetition of sparks at the burner-tip one of said springs which hasconstituted the igniting-circuit falls into said cam and interrupts thepassage of the current, leaving the gas ignited, all substantially asand for the purposes described. t

CHARLES B. BOSWORTH. \Vitnesses:

WILLIAM E. SPEAK, OHARLEs H. HANSON.

